The Bridge Generation

As it is the case with almost anyone who is email savvy, we receive e-mail alerts on topics that interest us the most. I am not the exception and recently I have been receiving several e-mail alerts. One of those topics is, of course “Latinos.” In the last few weeks I have received alerts on Latino population statistics i.e. the 2010 census. For example, an article titleCensus’ effect on Arizona redistricting questioned, states “Hispanics increased by 46.3 percent and went from making up 25.3 percent of the state population in 2000 to 29.6 percent in 2010.” Another article that pieces this puzzle together comes from the Washington Post, it states “In another contrast to the 1990s, births have overtaken immigration this decade as the largest source of Hispanic growth.” Coincidence that the 14th Amendment became a target? You be the judge.

There is one particular blog that summed up my point as to why Latinos are victims of discrimination and racism within the last 10 years. The blog titled “ U.S. Hispanic Population Is Growing, but This Isn’t Your Abuela’s Latino Community” states “While Hispanic population growth in the 1980s and 1990s was primarily driven by immigrants arriving to the U.S. in search of economic prosperity, today’s Hispanic growth can be attributed, overwhelmingly, to the group’s American-born children. They are bilingual, bicultural and increasingly influential within their multi-generational households.”

We live in a different America. It is an America with a nation of Latinos who no longer watch novelas or Sabado Gigante. A new generation has politicians racing to eradicate our history and use every trick to stop our growth in all aspects. This generation is called the bridge generation and “our mindset is no longer defined by language preference, age or acculturation level. It is guided by an evolved set of shared values and needs” (Hernan Lopez). Pa’lante!